INVISIBLE STRING - Duan Jia Xu

THREE

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" he muttered, not meeting her eyes.

Hui Ying grinned widely, remembering her humorous act she had preformed. She shook her head. "Not a chance."

Sang Yan huffed, making Hui Ying look away from the older guy with a smile. She rested her chin in her palm as she stared out the window. The leaves were starting to turn outside—golden, burnt orange, that deep red that always made her feel a little too sentimental.

For her, Autumn felt like change. Autumn felt like something big was going to happen and it was going to change everything. Sang Yan going to college was already one thing,  Sang Zhi was also growing up-- and so was Hui Ying.

Everything was changing, and Autumn represented new beginnings.

they both got quiet for a while. Hui Ying was sipping her water, spinning slightly in the chair like she had no plans to move anytime soon. Sang Yan had gone back to scrolling through his phone, though this time, he wasn't playing a game—just pretending to be uninterested.

Just as Hui Ying leaned back, ready to say something else, her phone buzzed sharply in her hand.

She glanced at it, saw the caller ID, and groaned. "Auntie," she muttered under her breath before answering. Her groan made Sang Yan laugh slightly before quickly shutting his mouth as Hui Ying almost shot daggers at him by using her eyes.

"Hello?"

Sang Yan watched her face shift almost immediately. Her eyes were filled with this type of worry that made him frown, he hadn't seen her look so worried in a while. "Yes... I'm still at the dorm... what?" Her brows furrowed. "Now? I thought it was at six—"

She stood up quickly, already grabbing her bag and unscrewing the cap of her water bottle to shove it back inside. "Okay, okay, I'm coming. No, I didn't forget! I'm on my way!"

She ended the call and turned toward Sang Yan with a half-apologetic, half-exasperated look. With one look his face softend almost, realising what was happening. "My aunt broke her hip last week, remember?" She asked, almost fidgeting to get the elastic.

Sang Yan nodded his head, his eyes following her to the door. "I'm covering her dance lessons until she's better. She just moved the class up last minute." She tugged her hair into a quick bun, already halfway out the door.

"You teach dancing?" Sang Yan blinked. "Can you even dance?"

Hui Ying scoffed, there was now a playful look in  his eyes as he watched her. It was obvious he was trying to make her less stressed by teasing her. "Ballet," she called, peeking back through the doorway. "And jazz. And a little hip-hop. I contain multitudes."

He nodded his head, his eyes watching how she quickly left the door. He was just about to continue gaming on his phone when she stepped back inside the room making him jump the slightest bit. "Tell Sang Zhi to call me later, okay? She still hasn't told me what she's wearing to the mid-autumn party, and I need to approve." She reminded him, and also slightly herself.

Sang Yan raised a brow. "She's got two weeks."

"Exactly," Hui Ying said, flashing a grin. "That's not nearly enough time if i want to do a whole photoshoot with her." She shrugged her shoulders before slapping his shoulder. "Don't forget!" She said, quickly making her way out.

"I won't!" Sang Yan yelled back while rubbing his shoulder in pain.

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HUI YING WORKED ON HER HOMEWORK while Sang Zhi was talking her ear off. The soft glow of fairy lights lit up the corners of Hui Ying's room, a cozy contrast to the hum of cicadas outside her window. She was sitting in her chair, her arms resting on the table in front of her, phone next to her, her laptop in front of her, earbuds in.